Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

Stephen P Davies

Morice W Thompson

Wholly non-charged, sterically stabilized aqueous polymer dispersions are made by emulsifying ethylenically unsaturated monomer(s) of specified slight solubility in water and subjecting them in that state to polymerization in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and a non-ionic water-soluble activator compound and also in the presence of a steric stabilizer precursor compound containing a polymer chain which is soluble in the aqueous phase and an unsaturated grouping which can copolymerize with the monomer(s). The emulsification may be assisted by a conventional non-ionic surfactant, or alternatively the precursor compound may itself possess surface-active properties.

Polymerization process using nonionic surfactant and copolymerizable

Sterically stabilized aqueous polymer dispersions free from charged species are made by emulsifying in water ethylenically unsaturated monomer(s), soluble in water to the extent of 0.08%-8% by weight but giving rise to a polymer which is insoluble, and polymerizing the monomer(s) in that state in the presence of (a) a non-ionizable azo initiator which is water-soluble and substantially monomer-insoluble and (b) a block or graft copolymer stabilizer of specified structure.

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Melbourne, Australia

Stephen P Davies